Tractor rotary plow



$.TL1N'GRAMJ TRACTOR ROTARY PLOW.

APPLICATION man NOV. 8. 1919.

1,374,739 I Patented Apr. 12, 19212 s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

s. T. INGRAM.

TRACTOR ROTARY PLOW. APPLICATI ON FILED NOV- 8, I919.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

s. T. INGR AM.

TRACTOR ROTARY PLOW. APPLICATIQN FILED NOV- 8, 1919.

4 Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

6 $HEETSSHEET 3- SQT. INGRAM.

TRACTOR ROTARY PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8. I919.

Patented Apr. 12, 19 21.

'6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

[N VENTOR;

sly

AT RNEY s. INGRAM. TRACTOR ROTARY PLOW;

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1919.

6 SHEETS SHEET 5.

ATT NEY S. T. INGRAM.

TRACTOR ROTARY PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 8. 1919.

. 1,374,739. Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

6 SHEETSSHEET 6.

10 harrow, and cultivator.

25of moisture, and other circumstances.

85 lows the plowing.

" uNiTEp STATES PATENT orric'a.

snnnrnn r. INGRAM, or s'r. Louis, mssoum, Ass enon or 'rnmrx PER mm r0 runs a. NEWELL, or sr. LOUIS, nrssoom.

raacron aommr rnow.

Specification of Letters IPatent. Pate t d A 12 1 92 Original application ill'ed Novembep 23,1918, Serial No. 263,866. Divided and this application filed Ioi yember 8, 1919. Serial No. 336,668.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SLEEPER T. INGRAM, a citizen of the United States, residin at the city of St. Louis, in the State of issouri,

5 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tractor Rotary Plows, of which the following is a specification.

.This invention is a-farm soil pulverizer,

which may be used as, and in lieu of, a plow,

' All these operations can be performed by this one machine. This is a division of an ap lication filed by me November 23, 1918, Ser. 0. 263,866.

One of the detrimental features of agriculture, as commonly practised, is the practice of shallow plowing. Deep plowing is harder Work for man and beast. The tendency, is, therefore, for hired hands, and even for farmers, not to plowso thoroughly, z'. 6.,

deeply, as will be adequate or preferable for 00d or the best crops.

"T e depth that is. proper for plowing depends upon the nature of the crop to be raised, the character of the soil, the amoupt general, increased depth of plowing will result in improvement in the quality and I quantity of the crop. In no instance, of course, should the plowing be so deep as to extend. through the soil so as to mix therewith the underl ing stratum.

The work of arrowing is laborious and takes additional time and labor, because, according to present practice, the same fol- The qualit and quantity of the crop raised depen s largely, in crops that need cultivation, upon the frequenc and thoroughness of the cultivation, t e necessity 40 for which occurs at a time when a farmer is likely to be otherwise bus and which, in-

any case, is so arduous as to e often slighted by employees and lazy farmers.

- The machine of this invention'is adapted. thorou hly to pulverize the soil and thus to com ine plowmg and harrowing, per-.

forming both operations at the same time and with muchgreater efliciency and thoroughness thanordinary plowing and harrowing.

Moreover, without extra labor, the plowing may be made as deep as'desired, going down even as far as the thickness ofthe any desired height above it.

stratum of soil. Thedepth of plowing by this machine can be regulatedat will, and

deep plowing can be performed with as great facility and ease as mere surface plow mg, the entire operation being carried on by power supplied by any suitable engine or motor, WhlCll engine or motor preferably forms an integral part of this machine and may be of the mternal combustion type, as-

indicated in the drawings or may be adapted to, be operated by any 0t ersuitabie motive power., v

Furthermore, this machine is adapted to cultivate the soil while moving with con slderable rapidity along the rows of standing grain or the like, its wheels passing down between two rows of the crop and. its mlddle miller stirring the soil in the intermediate row. In its next trip across the field, which will ordinarily-be in the o and labor is obviously effected thereby, re-' sulting, for. one thing, in makin it possible greatly to increase the acreage p anted. .As cultivation by this machine is more rapid lowing or the harrowing, and, as it takes t e place ofth'e combination of both, greater saving of time than by present methods, it is possible, also,

to cultivate'alarger acreage- This machine can be made in sizes especially sultablefor different crops, and,

- while in the drawings it is shown with three millers, it can be constructed also with a greater or less'number thereof.

Its engine can be used for drivmg a threshing machine, saw-mi-lhfeed-cutter, or

other farm implements, and, as a whole, can be used like a tractor for mov ng the crops from the field .to the crib. orto. a railway station, its use as a tractor bein made o'ssible by its construction that ena les the ifting' of the miners out of the ground and to the accompanying drawin s forming part of this specification, in whic lilm munbers of reference denote like parts wherever thiiy occur,

igure 1 is a top-plan view; tFig. 2 is an end elevation looking from the left'in Fig. 1;

Fig.3 is a side elevation; I

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the locknut;

Fi 5 is a sectional view on'the line 5-5 in Fig.4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view, of which the upper half is taken] approximately on the line a-b and the lower half approximately on the line od inFig. 3;

Fi 7 is a sectional elevation taken on the lln'e 7-7 in Fig. 1; and k Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 in Fig. 1'. v

The engine 1 is mounted upon the frame 2, which incloses the tractor wheels 3 and the millers 4, 5, and 6. Journals 7, mounted on opposite sides of frames 2, provide bearings for shaft 8 for the wheels 3 and gears 9, the said gears being fixed to wheels 3 and wheels to shaft 8.

The means of attachment of engine '1 to frame 2 is preferably ;by flat-irons or other supports 10 attached thereto by bolts 11,

and at their other ends by bolts 12 to brackets 13.

A guide-wheel 14 is journaled at 15 in upright 16, which supports the forward end of frame 2 and the en inc 1.

A shaft 17 is driven y engine 1, and com- I axle-journal or support 29, as do also the brackets 30, which support the bracket-extensions 31 and thereby the bracket 32,

which'has the legs 33, which are fastened by screws to the crossrframe member 34 fastened by angles" 35 to the horizontal part of frame 2. Thus from'cross-frame memher 34 to the rounded front part of frame 2' extends a skeleton support not only for engine 1,. but also through the member 29 for the shaft 8, which forms the axle for the tractor wheels 3, and also forms a support for the differential 18 and the-driveshafts 36, on which are fixed the pinions 37, in engagement with, and adapted to drive, the gears 9. Gears 9 are fastened by screws 38 to the spokes 39 of the tractor wheels 3, whereby the same are driven by 24-that actuates worm-wheel 25,

. the foot orto, the hand of the operator.

Arms 44 are pivotally mounted upon axle "8. The heads 45 are pierced for thepassage therethrough of shafts 26, 46, and 47 respectively, and underlie gears 27, 48, and 49, preventing'the said gears from droppm slidingly keyed. Worm-wheel 25 is similarl splined on shaft 26. a

\ illers or cutter-heads 4, 5, and 6 are fixed to the lower ends of shafts 46, 47,

" and 26,respectively, and, as shown in Fig.

2, by the elevation of miller 6, are capable of a certain amount of elevation above the ground, by the turning of handwheel 50 (for miller 6) and hand-wheels 51 and 52 (for millers 4 and 5) respectively. As best seen in Fig. 3, the rotation of hand-wheel 52 'or 51 or 50 rotates'pinion 53, mounted on short shaft 54, which pinion 53 engages are each provided with a off the lower ends of their respective "sha ts on which the same are splined or the notches in the grooved part 55 in the shafts 47, 46, and 26 respectively, and thereby causes the shaft with which it is in engagement to move vertically upward or. downward, carrying with it is attached-cutter-head or miller.- f I Vertical movement of the millers 4, 5, and 6 as a bank, that is to say,'at one time, can be produced by operating hand-wheels 56, which rotates screw-threaded shafts 57,

which are suitably mounted (preferably in a swiveled manner not shown), so as to cooperate with screw-threads 58 in frame 2, and extending into a lug 59, of which there are two or more projecting from frame 60. Bolts 61 attach frame 60 to the flanges 62 at the bottom of brackets 63 that house shafts 26, 46, and 47. Because of the connection betwen pinions 53 and the ooves 55 in their respective shafts, and ecause of the connection by bolts 61 between housing or sleeve 63 'that carries shaft 54 and pinion 53 and the hand-wheel 51 or 52' to operate the same, movement of frame 60, b means of hand-wheel 56, screw-threaded s aft 57, the screwthreads 58 in frame 2, and the attachment of the lower end of shaft'57 to frame-'60, results in movement of the shafts 26, 46, and 47 in a bank, that is to say, at one time. Since such movement is limited by the grip of the heads 45 .of forked arm 44 upon the said shafts, such movement on their. part will necessarily describe an arc of a circle, so that, if depressed, they will be tilted in such manner that the millers 4, 5, and 6 will be moved forward in Fig. 3. On the other hand, if elevated, the said millers will be moved to the left in Fig. 3, in this position, for instance, being downwardly.

elevated above the ound, so as to travel home-onto work .or or use as a tractor.

To prevent the vertical shafts 26, 46, and 47 falling by gravity, the grooves 55 merely idly turning the pinions 53, a lock consisting of a pawl 64, operated by, the handwheel 65, is provided for each of the said vertical shafts. Pawl 64 fits into one of the grooves 55 and holds its shaft from vertical displacement either upwardly or Without it, gravity would cause its miller to descend in a mere awkward fall. On theother hand, if a rock or stump, were struck in the field, the miller would yield and rise without performing any effective service, To hold it in a predetermined and effective working position, the lock, composed of pawl 64 an hand-wheel 65,- as just described, .is' provided. A

To prevent the possible wear on the several parts adjacent to the hand-wheel 65,

. if the miller strikes a rock or the like, a

- 47 bearing Qby operatm inasmuch as the thrust collar bracket 66 is provided for each of the shafts 26, 46,'and 47 in which the separate collars 67 and 68 are adapted to receive the jar.

It will be evident that usually, to set the millers at the proper depth for work, handwheels 50, 51, .and 52 will be used, but, to retract them all from work ,and'. to tilt them into an inoperative position raised above the ground so as not to strike inequalities, stumps or loose objects on the ground, .they and the shafts 26, 46, and

them can be tilted at one time hand-wheels 56. On the other hand, if, w en set in the vertical position shown in the drawings, particularly in Fig. ish ti t 3, it is desired to give them a rak reater cutting power of the the fiand-wheels 56 can be used to produce this auxiliary setting of the shafts 26, 46, and 47 and the millers borne thereby. r The shafts 36 are journaled in theboxes 32 forming a part of the auxiliary supporting frame located within the main surrounding frame.

The brake bands 41 can be used simultaneously or separately, in which latter instance they will serve as steering apparatus, ressure exerted upon one of the tractor w eelSa3.b means of the drum 40 connected therew th will tend to turn the machine as a whole toward that sidIeI, revolving on that resistance as a pivot.

aving thus described this invention, hereby reserve th benefit of all changes in form, arrangement, order, or use of parts, as it is evident that many minor chan es may be made therein without departing rom the spirit of this invention or thescope of the following claims. I a

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a main frame,

a pair of tractor-wheels, an axle shaft 'ournaled in the said main frame; an auxi iary frame within and supported by the said main frame at the ends of the latter, and a central axle support supported by the said auxiliary frame, the said central support having brackets extending therefrom for attachment to the said auxiliary frame.

2. The combination of a main frame, a pair of tractor wheels, an axletherefor jouraled in said main frame, a central support or the axle, an auxiliary frame, said auxiliary frame being divided into a forward section connected to the forward end of the main frame and into a rear section con nected to the rear end of the frame, said forward and rear sections of the auxiliary mounted on the axle within the main frame,

an auxiliary frame extending in opposite directions from the axle and supported at its outer ends by the main frame, and an axle support encircling the axle intermediate the tractor wheels and connected beyond the axle to the relatively inner ends of the auxiliary frame.

4. The combination with a main frame, an auxiliary frame supported at its outer ends on the main frame, an axle mounted in the main frame, an axle support for the central portion of said axle, and integral projections from said axle support connected to and forming a part of said auxiliary frame. v

5. The combination with a main frame, an auxiliar frame arranged wholly within the main rame and connected at its forward end to the main frame, 'a cross bar connected to the main frame and supporting the rear end of the auxiliary frame, an intermediate member connected to and forming part of the auxiliary frame and having an axle bearing, and an axle su ported in said bearing In testimony w signature.

SLEEPER 'r. INGRAM.

and in the main rame; reo'f I ,hereunto aflix my. 

